Missouri Children’s Division Child and Family System Transformation Community and Cross-System Partnerships Culture and Practice Change Vision for Future
“Changing system s for children & fam ilies often involves starting from a different place” Philosophy/ Culture x Practice x Quality = Results Philosophy Results Practice Quality Culture Evidence-Informed Strong Organizations & Exemplary Outcomes for Practices, Workforce Community Partnerships Children & Families & System Capacity
Listening, Learning, Forw arding to Action “ Nothing ever changes until it becomes what it is” Snapshot of Foster Care Data Perspectives of Young People and Frontline Practitioners
Population Grow th in Foster Care – Entering and Exiting Care The number of children in foster care has grown by over 40% since 2010. The rate of children in care of 8.8 per 1,000 children exceeds the rate of 5.4 nationally. Entry rate of 4.9 per 1,000 exceed the rate of 3.5 nationally. Average length of stay in foster care 21.8 months. Rate of children placed in congregate care of 9% is below the rate of 13% nationally. There are 4,255 youth ages 12 - 18 in foster care. 2,859 youth (67% ) are in care more than 12 months. 856 youth (30% ) are in care based on youth behavior.
Why is it important to view children, youth, and families accurately? “When I came into care I was in shock. I was taken to the doctor, diagnosed with depression, prescribed medication and counseling. I just want all of you to know that I was sad, not sick.”
Structured assessm ent of a child w elfare agency’s organizational culture & clim ate Organizational Culture The organization’s behavioral expectations of employees and the way the work is done. “How w e do things around here.” Organizational Clim ate The experience of working in an agency. “W hat it is like to w ork here.”
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Listening, Learning, Forw arding to Action “Organizational and system culture overpowers and either amplifies or undermines strategy every time ”
The Results Cycle – Culture Matters BELIEFS Values, judgments, interpretations, assumptions, “attitude” RESULTS BEHAVIOR Outcomes, impact, Style, openness, accountabilities, Leadership habits, skills, improvements, practices,“action” “performance” RELATIONSHIPS Trust, rapport, collaboration, sharing, Adapted from the work of “connection” Thomas Crane, Heart of Coaching
Organizational Culture I nvolves… Shared beliefs/ assum ptions, values, behaviors, and relationships • Consumers/ clients (e.g. children, young people, families) and communities • Nature of the work and purpose of the organization or system (e.g., the “why” that drives the “what” and “how”) • People involved in implementing the service or strategy and how they relate to one another
Culture I m pacts Organizational and System Clim ate … The organizational or system clim ate – “what is it really like to work for, partner with, or participate in services and supports facilitated or provided by the organization.” Behavior, relationships, results System artifacts and rituals Readiness for change
Artifacts and Rituals Take Various Form s … Includes structures, processes, methods for communication and management. Relationship and interpersonal or cross- organizational dynamics. How time and attention is directed. Policies, procedures, or practices that may be misaligned, redundant, distracting, or harmful.
Organizational and system culture is the 500 lb. gorilla … Culture overpowers and either amplifies or undermines strategy!
Listening, Learning, Forw arding to Action “Adaptive challenges require new behaviors, knowledge, action, or a new way of thinking that is often not in the current expertise or what has been traditionally valued in the system. ”
Transform ing and Preparing Technical Cultures for Adaptive Challenges Name the “elephants in the room” as the norm in the organization and system. Nurture shared responsibility for the organization and system. Encourage independent judgment. Develop leadership throughout the organization and system. Institutionalize reflection and continuous learning. Adapted from “ The Practice of Adaptive Leadership ”, Heifetz, Grashow, Linsky, Cambridge Leadership Associates, 2009
Applying Adaptive and Collaborative Leadership to System Changes Addressing and reconciling the myths; understanding the impact of assumptions. Moving from either/ or thinking to ability to navigate the gray areas and encourage “curiosity”. Resisting the temptation to chase symptoms and apply technical solution to adaptive challenges. Manage time and attention, focusing on what matters most and avoid “misplaced precision”.
Applying Adaptive and Collaborative Leadership to System Changes Framing challenges in a way that everyone shares a common goal. Anticipating differences in perceptions. Leaders listening, reflecting, and integrating new ideas. All team members, organizations, and partners willing to learn and collaborate. Adapted from Leadership Academy for Middle Managers • www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network
Listening, Learning, Forw arding to Action E Engaging, exploring, and developing a renewed vision for the child welfare system
“Starting from a different place” by engaging, exploring, developing Accurately frame child welfare as a collective responsibility- “we are not the child welfare system; we are one part of it”. Walk in Your Shoes to learn from & engage front-line practitioners and family experiences – “nothing about us, without us”. Agency protocol for program and policy changes to ensure diverse perspectives, practitioner expertise, and opportunities for distributive leadership.
“Starting from a different place” by engaging, exploring, developing State and local governance structures and partnerships (e.g. state youth advisory, foster care & adoption board, provider groups). Family Centered Services Redesign Team to further develop values and operating principles, review and recommend policy and practice changes (e.g. start doing, do more or less, stop doing). Leadership Development throughout the system including practice changes, learning opportunities, and change initiatives throughout the system (e.g. National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, High Performance Transformational Coaching). Community Conversations (7) to nurture collaboration, surface and challenge assumptions, introduce new possibilities, and create readiness for change .
Com m unity Conversations - I nform ing and Signaling Change, Engaging Partners
Com m on Them es from Com m unity Conversations Desire for a fam ily-oriented sys tem that focuses on safety without compromising wellbeing. Less em phasis on com pliance by families and workers, less paperwork and redundant tasks that divert time and attention. Focus on getting to the root of problem s in families and in systems to support sustainable change. I m portance of seeing fam ilies accurately , judgements and biases shape the information deemed relevant and what is discarded.
Com m on Them es from Com m unity Conversations The value of understanding of behaviors and tradeoffs - structures and policies often limit workers’ and families’ ability to minimize tradeoffs, potentially undermining the very success everyone is seeking. Desire for a shared language am ong all system s so that agencies and resource parents can w ork together m ore efficiently and effectively - Five Domains of Wellbeing’s potential to help systems and partners “see” children, youth, and families more accurately, engage more fully, and make better decisions.
Them es Evolve to Strategic Goals 1 . Seeing fam ilies accurately through the full frame of their lives. 2 . Engaging fam ilies , youth, children, and communities as partners. 3 . Making inform ed decisions through inclusive processes, data, measurement, and research. 4 . Strengthen frontline practice and support programs that work.
Listening, Learning, Forw arding to Action Utilizing Implementation Science
Organizational culture & practice change - role of leadership Maintaining systemic leadership (adaptive and collaborative, technical, outcome-focused, and accountable ) Creating transformative culture change while building workforce and organizational capacity Embedding evidence-informed practices within dynamic and evolving organizational and community frameworks Building supportive constituencies , sustaining change, and aligning structures and resources over time 33
Listening, Learning, Forw arding to Action Values and Guiding Principles Universality of Wellbeing and Trauma
Why is it important to change both culture and practice? “When I came into care I thought it was my fault, and everything that’s happened since then has reinforced this belief.”
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